[New Interview] Leonard Ellerbe: "We're still trying to make a deal"

Leonard Ellerbe is the CEO of Mayweather Promotions.

A five-time champion, Floyd Mayweather's proposed welterweight (147 pounds) bout with seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) has reached a negotiations impasse over a drug-testing issue.

Mayweather's camp wants random blood-testing and urninaylsis; Pacquiao's has agreed to the urinalysis, but not to the random blood-testing.

Pacquiao beleives that Mayweather's side has accused him of steroid use, and in fact has filed a lawsuit charging defamation of character against Mayweather, his father, Floyd Sr., and Roger Mayweather, as well as Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, which has been brought in to represent the fighter during negotiations.

In this Q&A, Ellerbe addressed the state of affairs as they relate to the potential for Mayweather and Pacquiao to come off, and expressed faith that the megabout can still take place on March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.


FanHouse: Where do things stand right now with Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao?

Leonard Ellerbe: From the Mayweather side, we're still trying to make a deal. Things are still at an impasse, but we're still ready, willing and able to try to make a deal. We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans.

We haven't heard from the other side, but we're still hopeful that a deal can be made. Freddie Roach and I might not see eye to eye on a lot of different things (but) Freddie has done a great job with guiding Manny's career.

I can't imagine Freddie advising Manny Pacquiao to take a fight with Yuri Foreman for a quarter of what he would make by fighting Floyd. That makes no sense at all.


FH: What do you think can be done either from your side or the other side to make this happen, and are there any compromises that can be made?

Ellerbe: I just think that at the end of the day, Manny Pacquiao will put his country on his back and eventually step up to the plate and agree to the random blood and urine testing. Because there is nothing out there that could do that could remotely come close to being involved in the biggest fight in the history of the sport.

Manny has surrounded himself with some very intelligent people, and I can't imagine guys like Michael Koncz and Freddie Roach advising him against doing that.


FH: Is there anything that you would like to say about the perception that people might have of your motive for the drug- testing?

Ellerbe: From Day One, I've never accused Manny Pacquiao of anything. All that I've said from Day One is that we want to insure that there is a level playing field because this is what the fans deserve.

Boxing has a great opportunity to be out front before the whole world and to say, 'We have a wonderful sport, and this is a clean sport, and we have the two best fighters in the world going head-to-head to find out and to prove who is the best.'


FH: Does Floyd Mayweather believe that he needs this fight to prove that he's the best fighter in the sport, pound-for-pound?

Ellerbe: From Day One, Floyd has been ready, willing and able to show the fans why he's been the best fighter in the world for over a decade. Manny Pacquiao thinks he's the best, but Floyd knows that he's the best.

The only way to settle this is in the ring.

FH: Is there anything that hasn't been said that you think needs to be said?

Ellerbe: Manny Pacquiao has earned the right to fight Floyd. From Day One, on our side, we checked our egos at the door. That's why we asked Richard Schaefer to represent us in these negotiations.

So we've done everything on our part to try to make this fight come to fruition. Now, the other side just has to check their egos at the door and make a deal and give the fans what they deserve.

As I said before, Manny Pacquiao has a lot of smart people around him. [Top Rank president] Todd duBoef has done a good job with not allowing their company's emotions get involved with trying to make a deal.

I have every expectation that Freddie Roach and the people around him will explain to Manny that he has way more to lose than to gain by taking another fight.





better soource:
http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2010/01/02/floyd-mayweathers-ceo-were-still-trying-to-make-a-deal/